Schools are academic and research units that are organised based on their specific educational and research objectives, methodologies, and techniques. They have academic autonomy, including technical-scientific and pedagogical autonomy, and they enjoy administrative and statutory autonomy.
The School of Management (ESG) is the first school of the Polytechnic of Cávado and Ave, commencing its educational activities in the 1996/1997 academic year. ESG offers programs in the fields of Accounting, Taxation, Finance, Banking and Insurance Management, Public Management, and Legal Studies. ESG consists of three departments: Accounting and Taxation; Law; and Management, as well as a Research Unit: CICF – Center for Accounting and Taxation Research.
The School of Technology (EST) began its activities in October 2004, offering programs in areas such as computer science, digital games, computer graphics, electronics, automation, robotics, networks, machining, and automotive mechanics. EST consists of three departments: Applied Sciences and Industrial Engineering; Intelligent and Creative Cyber-Physical Systems; and Computing and Information Technologies, as well as a Research Unit: 2Ai – Applied Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.
The School of Design (ESD) is an academic and research unit focused on higher education in design and applied research in this field. It started its scientific and educational activities in the 2015/2016 academic year.
The School of Hotel and Tourism Management (ESHT) started operating in the 2017/2018 academic year and focuses on higher education and applied research in the fields of hotel management, tourism, and food innovation. ESHT includes the Department of Tourism and Marketing, covering areas like Hotel Management, Tourism, Languages and Humanities, and Marketing and Strategy.
The School of Professional Technical Higher Education (ETESP) arises from a strategic collaboration between IPCA and the business community in the Cávado and Ave regions, addressing the need for training professional technical workers. It offers Technical Higher Professional Courses in the fields of Design, Management, Tourism, and Technology, aimed at supporting the business community in preparing qualified labor. ETESP consists of four departments: Applied Sciences, Business Sciences, Design and Multimedia, and Technological Innovation.
The School of Sport, Well-being, and Biomedical Systems (ESDBESB) is one of IPCA’s academic units created in December 2021, as part of IPCA’s strategic initiative to establish a presence in the field of Sport, Well-being, and Biomedical Systems. ESDBESB is headquartered in the city of Guimarães and is known for its distinctive educational offerings in three key areas: Sport and Active Aging, Prevention and Well-being, and Biomedical Systems. While the school has been approved, it has not yet launched its educational programs.
